Affordable housing is notoriously expensive to build: In California, for example, a single subsidized apartment costs around $450,000 per unit (in San Francisco, one project designed for low-rent housing has a per-unit cost of $900,000.) While there are multiple ways to bring costs down, one part of the solution may involve rethinking what housing should look like, including designing buildings that offer different living arrangements than just self-contained units. In New York City, a construction in Harlem is one example of the trend. Called Common Roosevelt, from the coliving company Common in partnership with L+M Development Partners. The apartments in the building are designed to share common areas, such as living rooms and kitchens (but not bathrooms), including an unusual layout in one section with 19 bedrooms on on a floor sharing one large living area. The design uses a concept called “layered intimacy,” intended to balance the need for privacy with shared spaces.